Apparatus for drying air



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1. J. H. GRENIER.

APPARATUS FOB. DRYIN'G AER.

Patented Apr. 13, 1886.

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as'ivz an A hi) (No Model.)

J. E. GRBMBR.V

2 Sheets-Sheet-.l 2.

APPARATUS PoR DR'YIN AIR. 1

PatentedApr. 13, 1886 llivirnn Srnrss Artnr einen..

JQHN H. CREMISH, OF' BRADDOCK, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR DRYlNG AIR.

SPECIFICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,619, dated April 13, 1888l Application tiled September 12, 1885.

To @ZZ wiz-m, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ll'. Gunmen, a subject of the King of Holland, residing at Braddock, in the county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus l'or Drying Air for Metallurgie Operations; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, sufficient to enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same.

Atmospheric air contains more or less watery vapor in suspension, the quantity thereof varying from about 0.25 to over 1.0() per cent. The presence of watery vapor is oftentimes a serious detriment in many industrial operations involving the use of atmospheric air, and noticeably is this true in the working of smelting or blast furnaces for the reduction of iron from its ores. The water, coming in contact with the highly -heated coal,

coke., iron, or other metal, is immediately decomposed, absorbing from the fuel a large quantity ol' heat and also oxidizing the metals. Such disturbing reactions give rise to annoying perturbations in the working of the blastfurnacc, developing a high heat in the stack, making the charge to scaffoldfi and otherwise affecting the even reduction of the metal. Vheu the product of the furnace is run directly therefrom and is used in molten condition to charge the Bessemer converter, it is necessary that within definite limits the per centage composition oi' the furnace product be carefully maintained; but such uniformity in condition, always difficult to accomplish, is rendered much more so by reason o1' the variable and uncertain quantity ol' watery vapor coming into the furnace with the ainblast and developing therein the disturbing influences heretofore detailed. Hence it is the object of my invention to cleminate this source of error by depriving the ainblast practically ofits contained. moisture; and, while I shall describe my invention hereinafter with particular reference to its use in connection with the blastfurnaces, it will be understood that the benelits thereof are not restricted to such special application, but that said invention may also be adapted to other purposes-as, for instance, in conjunction with cupola'furnaces, Bessemer Serial No. 176,835. (No model.)

converters, Sac-where it is desired lo de prive the air-blast of its moisture.

My invention consists in providing the blast or like furnace with one or more desiccating or drying chambers, through which the airsupply passes and wherein it is deprived of its contained moisture prior to the entry of the air into the furnace, said desiccating chambers being arranged on the regenerative plan, so that while one or more may be in use the others ofthe system are being restored to Working condition.

The nature of my invention and the preferred construction to embody the same will more fully appear from the following description, and will be thereafter definitely stated in the claims at the conclusion thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a long'i tudinal section, and Fig. 2 a transverse sec` tion, of one of the desiccating-chambers. Figs. 3 and 4 are like views, respectively, of a modilied form of the same. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a series of the desiccating-chainbers and adjnncts Figs. l and 2, in connection with the air-truuk or main'leading to the fur nace; Fig. 6, an end elevation oll one of the chambers and of the airmain.

The desiccatingchamber A, conveniently of rectangular form, may consist, preferably, of sheet-metal plates stoutly secured together to constitute a closed compartment, said compartment serving to obtain the materials for abstracting the moisture from the aircurrent. This material may be concentrated sulphuric acid, calcio chloride, or such like substances possessing the desired property of absorbing moisture, although in practice the calcic chloride is deemed best suited for the purpose.

The exposed surfaces of the chamber, and the pans, trays, or grids for holding the dryl ing material may be coated or lined, if necessary, to prevent corrosive action.

In using the chloride or calcium it is proposed to arrange a series of traysmoneabove the other and extending across the chamber A, as shown, with suitable space between the trays to allow conveniently for charging the materials thereon, and also for the free sweep of the air-currents over the same. The trays may be of any suitable size or capacity, de-

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pendent upon the volume and Velocity of the passing current, and can be sustained in position by any convenient or well-known means. The inlet-port bclosed by door or valve, as at b', admits the air-supply to chamber A, While an outlet -pipe, b?, provided with suitable shutoff valve, b3, serves to conduct the air therefrom into the trunk or main c, Figs. 5 and 6, with which trunk the blower or pump is connected. It is obvious that in s ome instances the inlctp'ort b, instead of opening directly from the air, as shown, may be connectedby Aflue similar to pipe bL with the exit of the blower or force-pump. In such eventl the air would be forced into instead of beipg` drawn through thechamber A,while the trunk or main c, receiving the dcsiccated air,would deliver the same directly to the oven or regenerator, or, if no heating of theairis practiced, then directly to the furnace. Whichever plan be adopted, the air passing through the chamf ber A in direct contact with the surface of the desiccating material has substantially all of its moisture abstracted, so that the deleterious effects due to the presence of such moisture are no longer experienced. After more or less exposure the calcium chloride becomes saturated and sluggish in its action, so that it is necessary to renew or revivify the same. This regeneration of the desiccating material may be accomplished eflicientlyand quickly insita by either one of the following` means: In Figs. 1 and 2 the trays a are shown to have a hollow shell orjacket, 0.3, extending beneath the bottom, into which conveniently at opposite diagonal ends open the inlets a and a2 of the supplypipes d and discharge-pipes d', respectively. I-Iot air from the ovens, or hot furnace gases or steam may be delivered by main pipeD to theseveral supply-pipes d,and thence to the jackets a, imparting heat to the calcium chloride on trays a and driving orf the absorbed moisture. The waste air, gases, or steam pass from the jackets a by exits d and pipes D to any convenient point. During the period of regeneration it will be understood that the valve b3 in pipe b2 is closed, so that the desiccating-chamber is practically out of service. To provide for such contingency it is seen from Fig.A 5 that there is a series of separate chambers, A, commu nicating with the trunk c, any one or more of which may be used, as desired, in desiccating the air-supply, while the others are shut off either for regeneration or repairs. Thus chambers Nos. l and 3 may be Worked, While Nos. 2 and 4 are being revivited, 'and vice versa.

The valve b and the man-hole e in chamber A may be opened during regeneration to admit of a local air circulation sufficient to carry away the vapor which is thrown off from the saturated desicoating material.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the regeneration of the inert desiccating materials is shown to be effected not by the use of jackets beneath the trays a, as in Figs. l and 2, but by means of the direct contact of hot air or waste furnacegases blasted into chamber A from the main F, and passing therefrom by the man-hole e. Valvef and lid e close the main F andthe manhole, respectively, during the time that the chamber is working in the desiccation of the air.

By either of the expedients heretofore lset Y forth or like suitable means, it becomes-possible to revivify the desiccatiug material in sita, and, as appears, to do this economically by utilization ofthe waste furnace-gases, spent steam, &c., either mediately or immediately, and in such manner as uotto interfere with the regular and continuous working of the furnace. A single charge of desiccating material may obviously serve, by careful management, for a long period of use.

Other forms of drying-chamber may be adopted than are set out herein without departing from the spirit of my invention. Thus the calcium chloride might be molded into brick form with use of a little clay and coaldust to give consistency, the dried bricks being arrangedin an upright chamber exactly as in a Vhitwell hotair stove, a layer of common brick sustained from the side walls being arched at regular stages to sustain the rows of desiccating-brick next above. The vregeneration of such type of drying-chamber would proceed exactly as now occurs in the Whitwell regenerative stove-that is, one compartment would be desiccating the air-supply and IlO let-pipes and the branch ue, it is clear 'that either one of the set of desiccating-chambers may, as before, be established thereby in separate communication with the air-main,while at the same time the companion chamber can be cut off therefrom by proper position of the controlling-valve. Whatever construction be adopted, so long as the desiccating-chambers are used alternatively and regeneratively,the working of the furnace continues uninterruptedly, and the benefits of my invention ar to be derived.

Heretofore it has been proposed to employ a desiccating apparatus in conjunction With a smelting-furnace, through which apparatus the air-blast was designed to pass for the purpose of abstracting the moisture therefrom prior to the introduction of the air into the furnace; but in such earlier apparatus the desiccant, instead of being disposed in sepa` rate compartments or chambers, as in my invention, so as to be regenerated in situ With- States Patent Office.

out arresting the continuous operation ol' the furnace, was retained in bulk within a single stack or chamber resembling an ordinary cupola in construction. In such devices no re generation of the desiccant was attempted or was practicable. The desiccant wasted away to solution and the air admitted to the lower part of the stack became snrcharged withk moisture from the deliquescing material there accumulated, and speedily and wastei'ully impaired the fresh supply as it rose through the same in passing to the exit from the stack. Moreover, since the air must force its way through the entire body of desiceating material charged in irregular masses and at various intervals into the stack, the resistance to he overcome was much increased and differed greatly according to the height or state of the desiccants within the chamber` The even operation of the blowingengine and of the furnace was accordingly disturbed, involving` more risk and care in attendance thereon than should be necessary in the best practice.

I am not aware that prior to my invention any apparatus had been devised which would lultlll the conditions desirethor whereby the same desiecants could be frequently reviviied and reused 'in sim without handlingv and wit-hout the expense of large additional. fresh charges at the same time that the working,` of the furnace with dried air continued uninterruptedly.

It should be understood that the process oi' 'drying air for metallurgie opera-tions, as detailed herein, forms no part of the pres ent application, but is made the subject of a separate application now on file in the United The present case is re stricted to the novel features of structure described, which constitute the preferred means for carrying such process into eil'ect.

ivithout limiting myself' to the precise details of structure hereinbefore set forth, and having thus described the invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is#

l. The combination, with the air trunk or main leading to the smelting-furnace or the like, of two or more desiecatingchambers communicating separately with said main.

and provided with suitable valve mechanism whereby the air-supply may alternately pass through one or more of said chambers to be desiccated, and be out otf from the other of said chambers to allow for regeneration thereoi", substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the air-trunk or main leading` tothe furnace, of the desiccating-chamber connected therewith and having` suitable valves to control its communication with the atmosphere and main, respectively, said chamber being provided with a series of shelves to contain the desiceating mate` rials, and with supplemental. inlet and outlet passages, whereby the excess moisture of the desiccants may be driven oi'f, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the desiccatingchamber having the series of hollow jackets, trays,or shelves arranged therein, of the supply and discharge pipes communicating with said jackets, substantially7 as described.

4. The combination, with the air trunk or main leading to the smeltingwfurnace or the like, o two or more desiccating-chambers communicating separately with said main,

said chambers being` provided with a series of y shelves to contain the desiccating material, and with suitable Valve mechanism wherebyY the air-supply may alternately pass through one or more of said chambers to be desiccated and be cut off from the otherof said chambers to allow for regeneration, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the air trunk or main leading to the smelting-furnace or the like, of two or more desiccating chambers communicating separately with said main, said chambers being provided with means, substantially as described, for the regeneration thereof', and with suitable valve mechanism, whereby, during such regeneration, the airsupply will pass through the companion chamber or chambers for desiecation, substantially as set forth.

JOHN H. CREMER.

Vifitnesses: y

WiLLLil-it E. Moanow, XVILLIAM D. Low. 

